


No Other Way

by amyfortuna



Category: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, I'm Sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-31
Updated: 2016-10-31
Packaged: 2018-08-21 17:16:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8253913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amyfortuna/pseuds/amyfortuna
Summary: There is no Eagle; there is no rescue. Fingon faces the impossible.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ChillinbytheFire](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChillinbytheFire/gifts).



No way up; no way down; no way out. 

Fingon glanced from cliff face to ruined slag pile at the base of it. And then to Maitimo, suspended far beyond his reach, hand caught in an iron band, pain written on his face. 

"Please," Maitimo said, voice a hoarse whisper that Fingon could hardly hear above the sound of the wind. "If you were my friend once, if you ever loved me, end this." 

Hot tears stung Fingon's eyes. He wiped them away roughly with the edge of his sleeve, and picked up his bow from where he had laid it down. He fixed an arrow to it, numbly, fingers not cooperating, mind unwilling to face the fact that he was about to kill his best friend. 

The wind picked up. Shooting an arrow true in this weather would be difficult to impossible. He ran his fingers along the feathered shaft of the arrow, muttered a few words of hopeless prayer, expecting nothing. 

He looked up to aim the arrow. Maitimo's face was terrified and hopeful all at once. Fingon's breath caught on a sob, and he lowered the bow. 

"I can't do it, Maitimo," he said. "I've only just found you. It wasn't supposed to end like this. I was going to save you."

Maitimo looked at him then, and there was an echo of _osanwë_ between them, long-unused. "You still can," he heard. "Please. I'm in such pain even now. You can end it. Please make the pain stop." 

Fingon raised his bow again. He took one ragged breath, and aimed. 

The arrow flew straight and true, hitting Maedhros square in the chest. The light died in Maedhros' eyes, and through the flash of pain that shocked through Fingon's mind, he heard a dying whisper, "....thank you." 

Fingon flung his bow to the ground, and followed it, sinking down more slowly, covering his face with his hands. For a long while there was no sound but the wind, and the echo of dry, broken sobbing among the rocks.


End file.
